In September, DC Comics relaunches its entire comic line in a new initiative called the New 52, which renumbers all 52 of its titles with new No. 1 issues. Pictured is cover art for "Wonder Woman" No. 1, written by Brian Azzarello with art and cover by Cliff Chiang.

In September, DC Comics relaunches its entire comic line in a new initiative called the New 52, which renumbers all 52 of its titles with new No. 1 issues. Pictured is cover art for "Wonder Woman" No. 1,

“Iron Man 3” comes out this weekend, at a time when comic book movies have never been more popular.

But even as the volume of films based on superheroes remains high, the variety of characters remains low. The vast majority of recent superhero movies have featured members of Marvel's X-Men and Avengers supergroups, or D.C.'s Justice League. Studios have committed to hair-trigger reboots of the Hulk and Spider-Man franchises instead of exploring new ground.

As a geek who grew up in a comic book movie drought, I dreamed this day would come. My only major complaint is the lack of diversity. Below is a list of the five comic book heroes who deserve their own movie franchise.

I've left out comic book characters that have already appeared in films and deserve another chance. Daredevil is at the top of that list — preferably a Christopher Nolan-directed reboot, using the Frank Miller comic book story lines. I'd also like to see a capable director working the Alan Moore Swamp Thing comics, which started a year after Wes Craven released his perfectly decent 1982 “Swamp Thing” movie.

Comics including “Y: The Last Man” and “DMZ” that don't feature a traditional superhero have been left out as well. (And both probably would work better as an HBO or Showtime series.)

Power Man and Iron Fist: Two of the lower-key heroes in the Marvel Universe, super-strong Luke “Power Man” Cage and martial arts master Daniel “Iron Fist” Rand, have sort of a throwback “The Rockford Files” vibe that would be a departure from the bigger set piece franchises such as “The Fantastic Four” and “X-Men.” Rather than world-savers, I like the idea of keeping the unlikely pair in their early Heroes for Hire stage, struggling to run a business while helping fight inner-city criminals — often on a pro-bono basis.

The Black Panther: This movie has been in the works for more than two decades, once attached to a “Blade”-era Wesley Snipes. Costumed hero T'Challa, head of state from the fictitious African nation of Wakanda, is a more global Batman — combining athletic excellence, martial arts, technical know-how and enhanced senses. Black Panther could start facing off against oppressive African warlords — the global peacekeeper subplot in “Iron Man” worked well. He's also a sometimes member of the Avengers, with crossover potential in those films.

Venom: Underdeveloped in Sam Raimi's third “Spider-Man” film, the symbiotic alien Venom deserves its own Marvel spinoff. Rather than the earlier Eddie Brock character featured in “Spider-Man 3,” the more recent Flash Thompson-bonded Venom seems like a better fit for the big screen. A legless war veteran who works as a government agent, Thompson can only wear the suit for 48 hours at a time. It will be tempting to focus on the visual effects potential, but a solid story with shades of Cronenberg's “The Fly” should be the foundation.

Wonder Woman: All things being equal, I have no desire to see a Wonder Woman movie. Like the hero Thor, her Amazonian princess backstory exists in a fantasy world that is a problematic translation into live action. Her exploitative costume is another hurdle. But “The Avengers” director Joss Whedon, who has a solid history writing female roles, says he has a fleshed-out idea for a movie. In Whedon We Trust. Roll out the invisible jet and let's start a franchise.

The Great Machine: Never heard of him? You're missing out on a great comic. The setup is complex but compelling, with a politician superhero and an alternate reality where the Sept. 11 attacks are thwarted. Mitchell Hundred is the Great Machine, a man who gets in a mysterious accident that allows him to control mechanical devices. After saving New York, he runs for mayor, and the series blends the best of “The West Wing” and “The Rocketeer.” Series creator Brian K. Vaughan wrote for “Lost.” This would be a good project for J.J. Abrams — after the “Star Trek” and “Star Wars” franchises he's directing run their course in 20 years or so.